A DOG trained to look for human bodies found areas of "specific interest" in the building where missing bookkeeper Suzanne Pilley worked, a court has been told.

Mark Heron, senior scene examiner with the Scottish Police Services Authority, told jurors the dog was interested in the parking bays in the garage of Infrastructure Management where the missing 38-year-old worked.

He was giving evidence at the High Court in Edinburgh in the trial of David Gilroy who is accused of murdering Ms Pilley.

The 49-year-old denies murdering her on May 4 2010 in Edinburgh, or elsewhere, hiding her body and driving away with it in the boot of a car.

He also pleads not guilty to trying to cover up the alleged killing.

The court heard how one of the two dogs showed interest in the boot of a silver Vauxhall Vectra car which was identified as belonging to the accused.

Advocate depute Alex Prentice showed the jury a computer-generated image of the office building in Thistle Street, which Mr Heron said he first examined on May 9, 2010.

Asked who he was with when the scene was examined, the witness told the court he was with, among others, two dog handlers and two "cadaver dogs".

Mr Heron, 47, said one of the dogs "made its way around the garage sniffing". He added: "I can't remember if it sat down or pawed at three specific areas. We decided to chalk these specific areas for further examination."

Two of the areas were in parking bays and the other was around a door, jurors heard.

During cross-examination, defence QC Jack Davidson put it to Mr Heron that there was no forensic link from the Thistle Street building to the accused.

Mr Davidson asked the witness about the scientific methods used to examine the garage, basement and stair area of the office building.

Jurors heard how Mr Heron had been to the address "as many as 10 or 15" times. Mr Davidson asked him if an "extensive and meticulous" inquiry had been undertaken and the witness agreed that it had.

He then asked: "There was no forensic link from examination of items in the staircase, basement and the garage to Mr Gilroy in relation to this inquiry?"

Mr Heron replied: "Not as far as I am aware."

The jury was shown photos of Gilroy's car impounded at a garage used by police for examining vehicles, and was told that Mr Heron attended the car on May 9, 2010.

Mr Prentice asked: "When you opened the boot of the car can you tell us what you experienced?"

The witness replied: "I could smell either a cleaning fluid or air freshener, a fresh, clean fragrance, when I opened the boot."

Asked what happened after that, he said: "The dog went into the boot and showed some interest in the boot."

"What is it you saw?" asked Mr Prentice.

Mr Heron replied: "My observation was that at the top-right corner and the left-front corner the dog paused and showed interest in these areas."